Hernial truss.



l No. 70|,954.l

Patented lune l0, |902. M. B.- SMYTH.

HERNIL TRUSS.

(Appncation med Nov. 25, 1901) (No Modal.)

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THE Nqnms PETERS co, vHoruLlfHo.. wAsHlNuToN, n c

45 cordance withvmy invention.

UNITED STATES V'PATENT QFFICE.v

MILTON B.` SMYTH, OF HOLTON, KANSAS.

HERNIA i. TRUss.

SPECIFICATION forming part of `Letters Patent No. 701,954, dated Junev 10, 1902. Application filed November 25,1901. Serial No. 83,641. (No model.)

T all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON B. SMYTH,a citil zen of the United States, residing at Holton, in the county of Jackson and State of Kansas,

have invented a new Vand useful Truss, of

which the following is aspeoiiication.

My invention relates to certainimprove-` ments in trusses employed for the treatment of inguinal hernia of that class in which axo spring brace or support extends partially around the body of the wearer from the inguinal region to the small of the back and is provided at each end with a pad for contact with the body.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved form of trussbrace which `will properly hold the hernia from protruding or entering the internal abdominal oringuinal ring and at the same time 2o avoid harmful pressure on the vertebrae and 3o ture will have a tendency to retain its position by contact with the skin.l

A still further object of theinvention is to provide the truss-brace with a strap or belt arranged in such vmanner as to prevent vertical movement of the pad, as more fully 'set forth hereinafter.

With these and other objects in view thev invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter de- 4 o scribed,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims. p

In they drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a truss constructed and arranged in acspective view of the'A same. Fig. 3 isa transverse sectional elevation,on an enlarged scale, of the truss-pad.

1 Similarnumerals of reference are employed 5o to indicate corresponding parts in the several views. e

In trusses ordinarily employed for the treatgreat trochanterl Fig. 2is a perment of inguinal rupture much difculty has proper position by the use of a simple springwire brace, and many auxiliary -fastenings have been employed, these in most cases, and especially where perineal straps are employed, proving a source of great discomfort to the wearer. Y

" In carrying out my invention I employ a single piece of spring-wire of sufficient length toextend from the front tothe back of the body. The wire is bent in suitable shape to encircle the body from the inguinal region to nearly the middle of the back, the spring being bent until it has suiiicient force to hold the pad over the hernia vin place. lf more force isrequired, the ends of the spring are bent nearer together before placing the device the spring may be slightly straightened. ,y

That end of the springat the rear of the body is bent downwardly to form a loop 2, the lower end of which extends downward yalong the side of the median line and avoids pressure on the vertebrze andmedian line of Sacrum'. This loopis covered by wire-gauze projecting inwardly` ind approximately semispherical form for contactlwith the body, a portion of the wire gauze o'nnetting being'cut away, as indicatedat 3, for. the passage of a belt 4. At the front' ofl the body the wire is bent upwardly at a right angle to form a loop ing to hold the truss in proper position on the body. It will be noted that the rear loop 2 isr inclined forwardly and downwardly, and the greater the forward inclination at the lower end of the loop the greater will be the tendency to force'the forward end of the brace front end of the brace be too great, the rear proper direction. f V

The truss-pad 6 is arranged on a horizontal portion of the spring Yat a point below the loop 5, and the attachment of the front endof the spring-brace l, which may be formed of al 5, through which the belt is also passed, serv- 'I loop can be bent farther backward at the` lower end until the strain isexertedfin the been vexperienced in retaining the pad in on the body, and if less pressure is required l downward. If the downward tendency of the IOO belt to this loop has a tendency to hold the truss-pad from upward movement owing to the fact that the line of tensional strain is above the center of the pad. The arrangement of the two loops and belt as herein described will, it is found, firmly hold the pad and prevent the necessity of employing a perineal strap to hold the pad from moving upward out of position.

In adjusting the truss care is taken to have the greater portion of tensional strain in a horizontal line between the center of the pad and the lower portion of the rear loop in a substantially horizontal line, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The spring may be bent outwardly at the sides of the body to avoid pressure on the aponeurosis of tissues that pass from the crest of theilium to the great trochanter of the hip-hone or femur, and thus avoid any inconvenience from that source andalso to avoid any upward strain at this point.

The truss-pad which I employ consists of wire-network or wire-cloth with mesh of any desired size and is so constructed as to admit of transpiration from skin through its meshes and will not cut olf entirely the supercial capillarycirculation of the skin, as does wood, rubber, or other solid substance, such as is in common use for the purpose. The networkl is so molded or formed by pressure or otherwise that it forms nearly or wholly a half-sphere in outline, or it may be oblong or of such other shape or dimension as the treatment may demand. The rim is formed by metallic band 7, to which the ends of the wire are soldered or otherwise secured. The pad is secured to a stem 8 of a construction more clearly shown in Fig. 3, said stem having a base portion 9 fitting within the pad and soldered or otherwise secured thereto, and such base portion being perforated for purposes of ventilation. The outer portion of the stem is provided with a slot l0, within which a spring may t, the pad being adjustable on said spring to any desired posit-ion and a screw' ll being employed to lock it in place.

The truss-springs are made rights and lefts to fit opposite sides of the body, and when adjusted in position the line of pressure of the pad is horizontal, being approximately opposite to the point of contact of the lower portion of the wire-netting 3, carried by lthe loop 2 at the back of the body. The construction of the pad :is such that the skin will partly penetrate between the meshes, and thus tend to hold the pads in place, while at the same time free transpiration is permitted and the pads are properly ventilated in order to prevent heating such as occurs where a solid pad is employed.

lVhile the construction herein described,

and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, is the preferred form of the device,it is obvious that many changes in the form, proportions, and details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims without departingr from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

Having thus described the invention,what is claimed as new isl. A truss-brace comprising a spring member adapted to partly encircle the body and to carry at the front an adjustable pad, said spring member having at the front end an upwardly-extending belt-engaging loop, and at the rear end a downwardly-extending portion for engagement with the rear of the body, and a belt adapted to encircle the body and connected with the downwardly-extending portion and also engaging the said front loop at a point above the pad.

2. In a truss, a spring-brace adapted to partially encircle the body, said bracehaving an upwardly-bent side portion to avoid injurious pressure on the sides of' the body, a down wardly-extending portion arranged at the rear end of the brace for engagement with the body, a pad secured to the forward end of said brace, and an auxiliary belt extending around the body and engaging the front and rear ends of said brace.

3. In a truss, a spring member adapted to partly encircle the body and having at the front end an upwardly-bent belt-engaging loop, a pad adjustably carried by the forward end of the spring member, the rear end of said spring member being downwardly and forwardly bent to form a loop, the lower end of which is in approximately the horizontal plane of the pad, and an auxiliary belt extending around the body and engaging the front and rear ends of said spring member.

4t. In a truss, a spring member adapted to partially encircle the body and having at the forward end a vertically-disposed belt-engaging loop and at the rear end a downwardly and forwardly extending integral loop,a wire gauze or netting carried by the rear loop for engagement with the body,said integral loops forming the framework and support of the gauze, and a belt adapted to encircle the body and to engage with both of said loops.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MILTON B. S MYTII.

Witnesses:

MYRTLE E. PRICE, GRACE A. ABEL.

IIO 

